Man gets 15 years for kidnapping Emzor Pharmaceuticals’ MD’s sister

A Lagos High Court in Igbosere yesterday sentenced a man, Chidiebere Nwoye, to 15 years’ imprisonment for his involvement in the kidnap of Mrs. Gloria Emole, the wife of his gang member’s former boss.

According to the prosecutor, the Lagos State Government, Gloria Emole is a sister of Emzor Pharmaceuticals’ Managing Director.

Justice Lateef Lawal-Akapo convicted Nwoye after his plea of “guilty” to an amended two-count charge of conspiracy and attempted robbery.

The judge held that the jail term would run from July 13, 2013, when Nwoye was first remanded in prison custody.

Nwoye and four others – Chukwunonso Victor, Ifeanyi Maduako, Obinna Nwanko, and one Azeez, now at large – were arraigned on July 13, 2013 on a three-count charge of conspiracy, robbery and kidnapping.

Victor, Maduako and Nwanko are still on trial.

During their arraignment, the Deputy Director of Public Prosecutions (DPP), Dr. Babajide Martins, told the court that the defendants committed the offences on November 19, 2012, about 8:30am.

He said they kidnapped Mrs. Emole while she was leaving her home at Unity Street, Ogudu Government Reserved Area (GRA), Lagos.

Mrs. Emole was released after her abductors were paid $70,000 ransom.

Martins said the offences contravened sections 297, 295 (2) and 269 of the Criminal Law of Lagos State, 2015.

The defendants pleaded not guilty.

But, following the commencement of trial, Nwoye opted for a plea bargain.

The charge against him was then amended to conspiracy and attempted robbery, to which he pleaded guilty.

During the trial, a prosecution witness, Inspector Gbenga Faguiro, who was led in evidence by Martins, narrated how the kidnap occurred.

Faguiro said the first defendant, Chukwunonso Victor, was an employee of Mr. Chika Emole, the husband of Mrs. Emole, before he was sacked for fighting in the office.

He said during investigation, the first defendant told him that the victim’s husband was his boss before he was sacked for fighting in the office.

Faguiro testified that Victor felt Mr. Emole had a hand in the death of his only child, because of his opposition to his marriage.

He said: “The first defendant said he travelled to China and spent four years there. On his return, he met a lady friend and they got married. She gave birth, but after some time, the baby died.

“So the first defendant got angry and said it was his boss that killed his child because he warned him not to marry the woman.

“The first defendant called the other defendants and one Azeez, who is at large, and they kidnapped the victim.”

Faguiro said on November 19, 2012, about 8:30am, Mrs. Emole was about to leave her house on Unity Street, Ogudu GRA, and she gave key to her guard to open the gate.

“The guard opened the gate and, as she was getting into her car, six gunmen accosted her, grabbed her and covered her head with a hood.”

Faguiro said they threatened the guard with their weapons and “the Mallam, (guard) shouted ‘Allah, Allah, don’t kill me’.”

The court heard that the gang drove their victim to an abandoned hotel in Ikorodu.

The witness continued: “When they got inside, they asked her to call her husband and they started demanding $300,000 ransom.”

Faguiro said the victim’s brother eventually paid $70,000 to one of the suspects, who is at large, at Ojodu Berger, Lagos.

“Chukwunonso and the other defendants, after collecting the money, took one of the victim’s phones from her bag. They used her Automated Teller Machine (ATM) card to withdraw money from her account,” he added.

The court further heard that after her kidnap, Mr. Emole reported the case at Ogudu Police Station, from where the case was transferred to the Special Investigation Bureau (SIB) Ikeja.

Faguiro said after her release, “she (Mrs. Emole) said the defendants were still with one of her phones. The SIB then collected the phone number and tracked it. That was how the first defendant, Chukwunonso, was arrested, which led to the arrest of the other defendants.”